Fire-escape



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. E. ANDREW.

FIRE ESGAPE. No. 285,542. Patented Sept. 25, 1883.

WITNESSES INVENTOR t v F ,7

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. E. ANDREW.

FIRE ESGAPE. No. 285,542. Patented Sept. 25, 1883.

WITNESSES IN VENTOR i w Kwm adxm ATTORNEYS.

N. PEYERS. Pholu-lmwgnph-n Waxlunglnn. DV 0.

(No Model.)

B. E. ANDREW. FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 285.542. Patented Sept. 25, 1883.

WITNESSES um QM BY //{W ATTORNEYS.

N4 PDERS. Phololnhognphy. Wnhmglon. n. c.

3 SheetsSheet 3.

NiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD E. ANDRINV, OF SHEPHERDSTOWN, VEST VIRGINIA.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,542, dated September 25, 1883.

Application filed May 16, 1883. (No model.)

To a, whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Brennan E. ANDREW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shepherdstown, in the county of Jefferson and State of Vest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

-Figure 1 is a representation of a house to which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section 011 line on x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on line 3/ y, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes; and it consists in the peculiar construction an d arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, (1. represents the frame to which the fire-escape is applied, the latter being adapted to be attached to any building.

1) represents a horizontal longitudinal shaft, having its bearing 0 near the eaves of the front of the house, and provided with beveled pinions (1 on its ends, which gear with beveled pinions 0 on the outer ends of horizontal crossshaftsf, near the ends of the house. The inner end of'one of thecross'shafts f is provided with a beveled pinion, g, which gears into a beveled pinion, II, on the end of a horizontal longitudinal shaft, i, having its bearings near the caves of the house and parallel with the shaft b. By this construction a rotary motion imparted to one of .the shafts will impart a similar motion to all the shafts.

j represents an eccentric keyed to the shaft 6 and surrounded by semicircular pieces it, having end lugs, Z, keyed together around the eccentric j, the inner lugs, Z, carrying between them an arm, m, connected at its outer end by a rod, a, with a rock-shaft, 0, having its bearings p secured to the upper floor or joists of the house.

To the rock-shaft 0 is secured a vertical rod, q, carrying a hammer, r, at its upper end, adapted in the rotary movement of the shaft Z) to strike and ring a bell, 8.

t represents a ratchet-wheel keyed to the shaft 1), and a represents a pawl pivoted to one of the rafters of the house, or to any suitable part, and engaging with one of the ratchetteeth of the wheel t, to hold it and prevent the rotation of the shaft 1).

To the outer end of the pawl u is secured a rod, 1), which passes thence through a hook, to, suspended from a brace, a, of the roof or other suitable point, and is provided at its lower end with a ring, I), from which wires 0, secured to the ring I), lead to the different rooms of the house, so that when the ring is pulled in case of a lire the pawl a is disengaged from the ratehet-wheel t and the shaft b is allowed to turn.

0 represents a brake-wheel keyed to the shaft 1).

(6 represents a brake pivoted to the upper floor or joists of a house, and adapted to press against the brake-wheel c.

c is a brake-arm projecting inwardly, and f is a chain connecting the inner end of the brake-arm with a shaft, f, having its bearings secured to the joists or upper floor of the house.

h represents a pinion 011 the shaftj", which gears with the pinion i 011 the shaft 1).

75 k represent flanges secured to the shafts I) 1%, opposite the windows of the house, and are intended to guide the ladders A, secured to said shafts, in their upward and down 'ard movement.

The longitudinal. sides Z of the ladders A are composed of wire rods or flexible material secured at their upper ends to the shafts Z1 f 2', and passing over rolls 8, and adapted to be wound or unwound thereon on the shafts bf i, and connected by suitable rungs, m, and provided near their lower ends with cross-pieces 11/, having weights 0. The function of the cross-pieces n is twof0ldviz., to carry the weights 0 and to close the spaces between the joists to prevent the wind from getting under the roof near the caves and blowing the roof off the house. lVhen the shafts 7) ft are free to move, the weights will unwind different ladders and carry them to the ground, the ladders being wound up and elevated by means of a portable frame, 1), secured to the upper joists of the building, and provided with a horizontal shaft, having a large pinion, r, on one end, which gears with a pinion, 8, provided with a pawl, 8 on one or all of shafts I) f In winding up the ladders the chain f is disby one or more persons.

connected from the brake-arm 6 until the ladders are wound up. The chain f is then secured to the brake-arm e, and the chain f is made sufficiently long to allow the ladders to extend down to near the pavement on the ground, the brake acting on the brake-wheel to prevent too rapid a movement of the ladders.

Vhen the fire-escape is applied to a factory, t represents a band-wheel secured to the shaft 1) and connected by an endless belt with the motive power to be wound up thereby. W'hen appliedto hotels or privatebuildings,eachshaft carrying more than one ladder is disconnected or cut apart for one or more ladders, so that one or more ladders can be wound up at a time The cut portions of the shafts are joined together by sleeves or bands u, provided with screws or bolts 0, passing through the sleeves or bands to into the shafts on each side of the cut, the bolts or screws on the sides of the cuts to be operated are removed; and when said ladder or ladders are wound up by the portable frame 1) the other ladders are similarly woundone or two at a ti1neand the pinions s secured in place by the pawls 8 -Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the flanged disconnected horizontal longitudinal shafts l) i and similarlyformed cross-shafts f, beveled pinions cl 0 g h, of the sleeves or bands a, provided with screws 12, and ladders A, having cross-bars n and weights 0, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the flanged disconnected longitudinal shafts b t and imilarlyformed cross-shafts f, of the sleeves or bands it, provided with screws 1/, over the cut portions of the shafts, ladders A, pinion s, having pawl s", and portable frame 1), provided with a horizontal shaft q, having a large pinion, r, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the shaft 1), provided with ladders A, and eccentric j, keyed to said shaft, semicircular pieces k, keyed around the eccentric-arm m, and rod a, of .the rock-shaft 0, hammer '1', bell s, ratchet-wheel t, pawl u, rod 22, and ring I), connected by wires to the various rooms of a house, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the flanged disconnected shaft I), provided with the ladders A, of the brake-wheel c, keyed to said shaft, the brake-arm 0, chain f, shaft f carrying pinion h and pinion t", 011 the shaft 1), substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

RICHARD E. ANDREXV.

\Vitnesses:

H. WV. Por'rs, L. WV. POFFENBE'RGER. 

